KALOPSIA

8. Way to Win Cale's Heart

Dokja got off his knees and stood up straight again. "Do you mind if we meet your kids?" He asked.

"Sure." Cale answered.

"You guys can go without me. I still have some business to take care of somewhere else." Alberu waved them goodbye.

They started to walk.

Thankfully, the Henituse estate that was located in the capital of Roan, the one Cale was currently staying in, was nearby unlike most noble's mansions.

Along the walk, they had a small chat.

"Cale, if you don't mind me asking.. are you and the emperor perhaps close?" Dokja asked.

Yoo Joonghyuk, although not visibly, was intently listening.

"Not really." Cale replied.

Joonghyuk felt at ease when he heard that.

"We're only sworn brothers."

The uneasy feeling came back to Joonghyuk without warning.

'They're not close but they're sworn brothers??' Dokja thought, confused. 'How does that work?...' Dokja started to speak again, "then are you—

Dokja was cut off by Joonghyuk, who grabbed his neck by the back with just one hand.

"Wha- what are you doing?!" Dokja sweated and panicked in the hands of a protagonist.

Joonghyuk didn't answer. With a pissed off face, he carried Dokja by the neck to somewhere else and dropped him there.

'What is he doing?' Cale thought.

The rest of the group sweated.

"Sorry, they're always like that.." Sangah apologized on their behalf.

"It's fine." Cale responded. "I'm going inside then."

They all followed him, even Dokja.

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'How should I get closer to him?' Dokja thought.

He was sitting on the chair in the room provided to him.

'Should I bribe him with money? But I don't have any of their currency.. and it might seem insincere...' Dokja didn't know what to do. He grabbed his hair and started pulling on it out of stress. 'Maybe I should just ask around.' Dokja got up from the chair, 'that right. If you don't know, just ask people!' He left the room.

"Where are you going?" Heewon asked, noticing Dokja leaving with his coat on.

"I'm going to find a way to win Cale's heart!" Dokja said with energy, walking down the hallway without looking.

'Someone's going to misunderstand you if you say it like that.' Heewon gave Dokja an expression that looked at him oddly.

"Please take—

Dokja got cut off again, second time in a row, by Yoo Joonghyuk, who stood in his way, making Dokja bumped into him.

"What are you doing here, Joonghyuk?" Heewon asked.

Dokja rubbed the place that sting with an annoyed expression, 'he's doing this intentionally, isn't he?' He glared at Joonghyuk.

Joonghyuk glared back, but more intensely. "I'm coming with you." He said.

"What...?"

"I said I'm coming with you." A threatening aura was spilling out of Joonghyuk.

"Alright!" Dokja said shakily, afraid.

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They returned to the streets.

"What are we doing here?" Joonghyuk asked.

"To find a way to win Cale's heart!" Dokja said it again.

Joonghyuk punched Dokja in the face instantly as he said that.

Dokja found himself on the ground again, but this time he was in much more pain and misery than before. "Why did you do that?!" He yelled, pointing his index finger at him.

Joonghyuk just stared at him angrily for a minute.

Dokja got off the ground, brushing the dust of his knees and hands.

Joonghyuk tried to calm down to listen for another answer, after all, he needed "a way to win Cale's heart." Joonghyuk spoke, "how do we find the way?"

Dokja smirked, now knowing why Joonghyuk got so aggressive at that mentioned. He understood, as a reader. Joonghyuk fell in love at first sight! Dokja chuckled slyly.

Joonghyuk's temper span was short. He was ready to launch another fist into Dokja's face. "Tell me."

"Alright! Alright!" Dokja didn't want to die today. "I was going to ask the citizens around for any information, since you know, he's kinda.. popular...?" Dokja sweated buckets as he said that, whether it was a lie or the truth, the pressure coming from the protagonist was making it hard to breathe.

"Lead the way."

"Yes, yes!" Dokja went off, wandering the streets randomly.